Jayanta Chakrabarty:

The current Home Minister, Bruno Retailleau, has replaced the 2012 Valls circular on undocumented migrants awaiting regularisation with a new approach to “exceptional admission to residence” (AES). The Retailleau circular, which came into force on January 24, 2025, changed the criteria for regularising undocumented migrants. To qualify for regularisation, applicants must have been present in France for seven years, compared to three or five years previously.

The circular also requires proof of advanced proficiency in French, either through a diploma or language certification.

Prefects are reminded that “exceptional admissions to residence must remain exceptional” and that there is “no automatic right to regularisation”, as the Conseil d’Etat (Council of State) emphasised in its 2013 report on “flexible law”. These recommendations are interpretative, not imperative, and do not create new rights. The final decision on each case therefore depends on the prefect’s discretionary power, with high probability of differences in methods from one prefecture to another.

What’s even more precarious for undocumented migrants is the measure obliging the prefecture to issue an Obligation de quitter le territoire français (OQTF) (obligation to leave French territory) if the application for regularisation is refused. This means they risk deportation if their application is rejected. This is a major obstacle to regularisation, and will deter many undocumented migrants from taking the plunge.

On February 4, the Home Ministry announced that France had issued 336,700 first residence permits last year, a figure 1.8% up on 2023, while expulsions rose by 26.7% with a total of 21,601 deportations. Among these, forced removals totaled 12,856, an increase of 9.7%.

The Retailleau circular reiterates the exceptional nature of AES. For regularisations justified by work, the circular calls for compliance with the conditions set out in the January 2024 immigration law – “foreigner who has exercised a salaried professional activity included in the list of professions and geographical areas characterised by recruitment difficulties defined in article L. 414-13 for at least twelve consecutive or non-consecutive months over the last twenty-four months, who holds a job in one of these professions or areas, and who can prove a period of uninterrupted residence in France of at least three years” – article L. 435-4 of the Ceseda).

‘Farm workers’, ‘housekeepers’, ‘restaurant workers like cooks and servers,  ‘cleaning staffs’, ‘vegetable gardeners/horticulturalists’, electricians, computer technicians as well as hotel and construction workers are in demand throughout the regions.

Tigrish Chakrabarty:

1. Adults lagging behind in technological development

The majority of people over the age of 40 do not like to learn the intimate behaviours of their electronic devices, or find those too complicated and not worth the investment of time.

These same people generally don’t want to spend enough money on new devices. This creates a circle of dissatisfaction due to the fact that these devices are slow and not suited to people’s needs, making for a frustrating experience.

However, you shouldn’t think that a phone has to be expensive to work well, especially if it’s intended for limited use. For example, a phone costing less than 350 euro can last more than 5 years if it is well maintained, provided you choose from the models with right specifications.

If an app-based worker, such as a food or parcel delivery person, buys the right model of mobile phone, he or she can use it for long time.

2. The benefits of a computer in everyday life

Before the age of smartphones, the only viable way to access the internet was to use a computer, and the only affordable way to use it to its full potential was a desktop computer. Progress has meant that a smart phone can replace a computer for a large number of tasks, but it cannot replace its technical capabilities.

Many young people today don’t like the idea of using a computer, among the reasons being ‘too big’, ‘hard to use’, ‘too expensive’, ‘doesn’t serve me’. This is unfortunate, because the computer is a workstation that offers no limits to its efficiency and provides a superior experience to a mobile phone. The size of its screen, its performance and peripherals such as a physical keyboard and mouse increase productivity exponentially. Websites have their full functionality easily accessible, load faster and are clearer. Computers also offer the ability to install professional programmes for video editing, engineering, application development and video games.

However, you shouldn’t buy just any computer, as there are a huge number of combinations of components, such as processors, RAM, memory, graphics card and storage. An 800-euro computer can offer a considerable performance gain over a 1,500-euro computer poorly configured for the target task. That’s why you need expert advice on the subject to guide you in buying the right computer for your personal and professional use.

3. Our role in selecting a device

The digital world is huge and not easy to navigate. There is an excess of choice and unfortunately not all of it is good, from overpriced, underpowered devices to manufacturer-funded ‘review’ videos and omissions of accurate descriptions on online shopping sites. The choises you make under the influence of advertising may not always be correct.

Entity Systems offers expertise in selecting the right device, educating and assisting its customers to improve their understanding and integration into the digital world.

Implementation of tougher measures